A golfer's putting style and technique varies with every player having his or her own unique style. Traditionally, a golfer selects a putter that matches his or her own putting style. Further, golfers often require a putter that is customized to the physical attributes of the golfer. For instance, a golfer's putting posture, height, and length of arms, legs, and torso all have bearing on a golfer's putting style and selection of a preferred putter.
Further, for any given golfer, a golfer may desire a putter configuration to reflect the condition of a particular course. For instance, golf greens may vary in terms of the green speed based upon the turf grass used for the greens. Further, weather conditions and variations in course maintenance may further alter the characteristics of a green. Such characteristics may be reflected in a change to a golfer's style and preferred putter characteristics. Accordingly, there is a need for a putter that can be manufactured to the unique and varying demands of a particular golfer. Further, there is a need for a putter that can be customized to adapt to a given golfer's particular putting style.
There are a variety of putter-type golf clubs which provide for altering the lie angle between the shaft and the club head. One such example is in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,726 to Fenton in which a hosel is set within a flange member in a pivotable fashion. A set screw locks the hosel within the flange member in a preselected position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,279 to Culpepper discloses a reversible putter head which may be assembled to fit an individual golfer in accordance with a golfer's height, stature, and personal preference of the individual.
It is also known to provide a curved hosel which alters the position of the shaft relative to the club head. Such teachings are reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,672 to Smith.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,203 to Middleton teaches the use of a straight hosel positioned at 90 degrees relative to the axis of the shaft which may be used to provide an offset distance of the putter club head to the shaft which is greater than the diameter of a golf ball.
There remains room for variation and improvement in the art directed towards an improved putter which allows for a lie angle and offset to be individually set for a golfer. Moreover, there remains a need within the art for the customized improvement which is compatible with existing golf club heads such that existing putter heads can be adapted to allow for the lie angle and offset adjustments of the present invention. Further, the putter should be aesthetically pleasing and comfortable for the golfer to use.